Short Essay Questions

1. When Del stays with her aunts for the summer there is an event which sticks out in her mind. What is the event and what does it point out about her aunts?

2. Why is Del helpless when it comes to helping Owen save Major?

3. Who is the surprise visitor from America who arrives at Del's house one day?

4. What are the circumstances of Del's biting Mary Agnes?

5. How does the story begin?

6. What is Del's mother's position on religion?

7. Explain Benny's penchant for clutter.

8. How does Del's mother manage to have her children live in town during the school year?

9. How does Del become a living sales prop for Del's mother's encyclopedia sales?

10. What is Del's mother's occupation in this chapter?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Del loves to escape her world through reading and this becomes an important theme throughout the book. Name at least two other themes in the cycle of stories and cite two examples for each to support your answers.

Essay Topic 2

Describe the setting for the novel. Be sure to include geography, time period and any pertinent popular culture events. Why did the writer choose this setting?

Essay Topic 3

As you might expect from the title, the author provides the perspective of how girls and women view the world. Choose two situations in the book which also involve men or boys and create a brief synopsis of how the males viewed the same situations.